What to drink at 30,000 feet

THERE exists a genre of information which might be termed “little-known facts that everyone knows”. It is the sort of tidbit you expect to amaze your friends at a dinner party, but which is greeted with rolled eyes. Casinos don’t have clocks or windows. Alanis Morissette’s song “Ironic” contains no example of irony. The body exerts more calories digesting celery than is contained within the vegetable. (Except the last of these facts—and everyone knows this—is in fact untrue.)

Then there is Bloody Marys and aeroplanes. Have you ever wondered why the only time most people fancy gulping down vodka, tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce is when strapped into the seat of a passenger jet? It is a little-known fact (that everyone knows) that our taste buds are dampened by the low pressure and humidity in the cabin, as well as the white noise of the engines. This particularly affects flavours that are sweet and salty. The umami taste, however, remains prominent. Tomato juice is high in umami. Worcestershire sauce, meanwhile, is what one cook…